thanks TracyI actually have them all. the problem I am having is the darned tripod mast for some reason everytime i start to attach the darned thing something else gets knocked off or i see something else that needs to be redone.eventually this thing is gonna get built ! also I have several different deck plans and even though they all say 1944 they are all different

I picked up the Midships Pensacola from the Freetime Hobbies tables at Nats last week.

I have been trying to figure out what period it represents. The box says "1941" but it lacks any of the AA enhancements made prewar. Terzibaschitsch says the 5" AA were increased from 4 to 8 "just before the war began". Whitley says that two Quad 1.1's were added by November 1941. The foremast has the reduced control top that was installed in the late 30's. The mainmast is still the high tripod style. It must have been cut down shortly before or shortly after the war began. Overall, the fit looks to be a good match for the profile drawing in Whitley that is dated 1939, except the kit fore funnel has a molded on smoke deflector that is absent from the 1939 drawing. I don't know when this was installed on the real thing. I think that Midships is sometimes careless about the date represented by their kits.

The moldings look pretty good overall, except for the foremast control top, which is a rather crude white metal part. The PE sheet is quite complete, and nicely done. The single 0.5" guns are not provided, though there positions are shown on the instructions.

It looks like it will be easiest to do this as a late 30's fit, in prewar navy gray, with natural wood decks, and dark gray steel decks. It should make up into a nice looking model. The tripod masts will be the trickiest part.

Just got mine today,ordered doors and ladders from L Arsenal USA. I had old classic kit of this it wasnt as good as this one refurbished by midship. Whole lot better casting and parts. Old kit had no photoetch. I wont camo this one like the other.

I have started my SLC, but have noticed most of the superstructures cast onto the hull, as well as the stern are not level- even though the hull is not warped. Does yours suffer from this? I have not figured out how I will handle the stern issue yet...perhaps it will not be so noticable when detailed......

I'm going to model the 1943 fit, and use Loose Cannon's 40mm guns. Have you found good source's of close up pictures?- Because I need some more photo's for detailing.

Had no problems with hull but had issues with front tripod and getting/making correct foretop areas rather than wrong one in kit or should say lack of one even close to accurate. Had problems with front 5 in gun deck getting base sanded off. Not totally correct look I wanted but couldnt come up with rebuilt . Also did you note 5 in guns with bases interfered with bridge and looked way too tall. I used my parts box and some cutting. As for catapults I completly fubared them and had to order from tom's. should be here any day. I guess you may be finished by this late date. It painted up well and I like the looks of mine now except me and 700 etch are not on friendly terms. I am going to fininsh railing it if cats go on this time ok.If questions give a yell I hope I can answer more quickly now iam on computer again.

I got the hull and parts all primed and am adding some bulkhead details and such. I have tried to level out the superstructures on the hull as much as possible. I had problems with the 5' platforms also- I had to scratchbuild the platforms- both were way too warped to be used. Thanks for the heads up on the gun height- I have been dry fitting the superstructure parts, but now I'll look at that issue too. As far as the mast platforms, I am trying to figure out a way to build and detail them off the ship, and add them as an assembly latter.

Nice to know I am not the only one building this model. Thanks for the input.

I'm trying to find out the number of 40mm guns and radars carried by Pensacola and Salt Lake City in late 1943/early 1944. Maybe they had 16 to 20.Radars: SG, air search SK, Mk3 and 2 Mk4. Is that correct?

During that time, both had 24 40MM. Both carried two quads above the forward set of 5" at bridge level, and two quads on the fantail. SLC had her third pair forward of the after 5" while Pensacola had hers immediately aft of them. Both ships carried SK, 2 SG sets, 2 MK-3 and2 MK-4. Note that Pensacola had MK-33 AA directors by that time while SLC still had modified MK-19's until June of '44.

Note that Pensacola had MK-33 AA directors by that time while SLC still had modified MK-19's until June of '44.

Does it mean that Mk33 directors were installed during WWII as an upgrade?Till now I beleived that the Mk33s were going to be eliminated during refits to fit Mk37 instead (IIRC Enterprise and Porters).

The MK-33 was a "self-contained" unit. All of the spotting, ranging, and computing gear was in the director. The MK-37 needed a "plotting room" below decks for the computing element and stable element. Ships with sufficient space below decks upgraded to the MK-37. For ships without the space, a MK-33 was better than a MK-19, and so, was installed as an upgrade. The Pensacola's lacked a plotting room even for the main battery. That is why Pensacola upgraded her main battery directors to MK-35's (removed from Porter class DD's and modified for 8" balistics) instead of the MK-34's that the Northampton's and Portland's received.

Northampton's, New Orleans class (the original directors were MK-28's - kind of an "unpowered" early type of MK-33), and the New Mexico's. In addition, the Portland's and three of the first 4 Brooklyn's upgraded from open-topped MK-33's to the enclosed type. (Savannah upgraded to MK-37's and the later Brooklyn's commissioned with the enclosed type.)

I am looking at the Pensacola in the late summer through early winter 1942 using one of the 1939 versions of the Midship Models SLC as a start. Does anyone have information as to the number and location of 20 mm guns? In photos I have been able to make out a few located as follows: 2 at the 02 level on either side of the superstructure just below the bridge, 2 on the structure aft of the second funnel on either side of the structure between the searchlights, 2 on the tripod mainmast on either side of the MK 19 director, and 1 in a tub on number 3 8" turret for seven total that I can see. Were there two more on the bridge roof on either side? Others? I am not sure that Pensacola received 12 mounts as in most of the other CAs, but 7 or 9 seem to be too few. Thanks in advance for any help.Frank Fowler